Comparing Opponents to Nazis is Stupid, But Stop Pretending It's More Than Just Bad Rhetoric
So another political figure has made another dumb Nazi reference. These sorts of stories are becoming as common a staple of the 24-hour news cycle as are stories about missing affluent white girls. This time it's Illinois Senator Dick Durban, who certainly should know better. He was trying to make a point about about Guantanamo Bay, and about how important it is for civilized nations to play by the rules, even in times of war. Unfortunately, he chose to try to emphasize his point about treatment of prisoners (or 'detainees' if you want to be PC) by referring to infamous totalitarian regimes, including the Soviets, Pol-Pot, and yes, the Nazis. Right on que, half the population immediately went into Fred Samford-style "I'm comin', Elizabeth!!!" fake heart attacks.
Why do people keep calling other people Hitler or Nazis? It's so stupid, nothing more than a lazy, inaccurate rhetorical device that lost whatever genuine shock value it may every have had decades ago. The mere presence of such a reference deflates credibility. Moreover, it ensures you of one thing and one thing only, and that is that no one will listen to the substance of your argument. They're only going to focus on the Nazi reference. Durban actually had some really decent points to make in his address, but instead of talking about whether a nation of laws should be treating people the way we are treating them in Cuba, we're going to have to spend days listening to right-wing talking heads bloviate about how Dick Durban should apologize. The Nazi reference becomes the story, because it's so much easier to have an opinion about that than it is to try to understand and apply a nation's obligations under the Geneva Convention. Any chance Durban had of bringing attention to this issue is lost. Granted, he probably wasn't going to be able to call much attention to the issue anyway, what with all the Runaway Brides and Michael Jackson Trials and Tom Cruise couch-aerobics and such, but you never know.
There's only one thing dumber than bringing up Nazis when trying to talk about a serious issue, and that's the feigned indignation and calls for public supplication that inevitably follow from anyone who can make political hay out of it. Look, I've been called nearly every name in the book in my day, and I don't care. You know why? Because 99 times out of 100, the only reason the person who calls you a Nazi or a Commie or a Commie-Nazi does so because he CAN'T THINK OF A GOOD ARGUMENT! Most of the time, labeling and name-calling are tactics used by people who would rather fit everything into categories that they believe they already understand rather than deal with complexity. If someone calls me a Nazi, that means either a) they don't know what a Nazi is, or else b) they don't know anything about me. Either way, why should I care?
Calling someone Hitler is moronic; there was only one Hitler, and thankfully he's been nothing but a pile of ash for 60 years now. But spare me the gasping and fainting and all the "I am shocked! Shocked!" rhetoric. It's just a convenient excuse to avoid the real issue.
Why do people keep calling other people Hitler or Nazis? It's so stupid, nothing more than a lazy, inaccurate rhetorical device that lost whatever genuine shock value it may every have had decades ago. The mere presence of such a reference deflates credibility. Moreover, it ensures you of one thing and one thing only, and that is that no one will listen to the substance of your argument. They're only going to focus on the Nazi reference. Durban actually had some really decent points to make in his address, but instead of talking about whether a nation of laws should be treating people the way we are treating them in Cuba, we're going to have to spend days listening to right-wing talking heads bloviate about how Dick Durban should apologize. The Nazi reference becomes the story, because it's so much easier to have an opinion about that than it is to try to understand and apply a nation's obligations under the Geneva Convention. Any chance Durban had of bringing attention to this issue is lost. Granted, he probably wasn't going to be able to call much attention to the issue anyway, what with all the Runaway Brides and Michael Jackson Trials and Tom Cruise couch-aerobics and such, but you never know.
There's only one thing dumber than bringing up Nazis when trying to talk about a serious issue, and that's the feigned indignation and calls for public supplication that inevitably follow from anyone who can make political hay out of it. Look, I've been called nearly every name in the book in my day, and I don't care. You know why? Because 99 times out of 100, the only reason the person who calls you a Nazi or a Commie or a Commie-Nazi does so because he CAN'T THINK OF A GOOD ARGUMENT! Most of the time, labeling and name-calling are tactics used by people who would rather fit everything into categories that they believe they already understand rather than deal with complexity. If someone calls me a Nazi, that means either a) they don't know what a Nazi is, or else b) they don't know anything about me. Either way, why should I care?
Calling someone Hitler is moronic; there was only one Hitler, and thankfully he's been nothing but a pile of ash for 60 years now. But spare me the gasping and fainting and all the "I am shocked! Shocked!" rhetoric. It's just a convenient excuse to avoid the real issue.
posted by Yukon Sully | 1:38 PM
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